Press Release

Cuba to Gain Embassy on U.S. Soil, Without Humanitarian Reform

(Washington D.C.) – President Barack Obama today announced plans for the United States and Cuba to re-open embassies in Havana and Washington during the month of July.

Jorge Lima, Policy Director for The LIBRE Initiative released the following statement:

"Once again the United States is unilaterally making changes on its policy with Cuba without any concessions from the island's dictatorship. Under presidents of both parties, the United States has long insisted that we would not normalize relations with the Cuban dictatorship until it was willing to ensure basic human rights for the Cuban people. These bipartisan hopes - of seeing the people of Cuba enjoy basic freedoms - are now further from reach because of the White House's new policy based on unilateral concessions. The president needs to consider the bipartisan objections to this policy in Congress, as well as the message this sends to the suffering people of Cuba, as well as to dictators around the world.

This move will form an important part of President Obama's legacy - but it will be a legacy of putting America's commercial interests ahead of humanitarian concerns. If we truly want to see a prosperous Cuba - with opportunity for all - we should not grant valuable benefits to the unreformed Castro dictatorship until political and civil liberties are provided to every Cuban."